Read 4 minutes15 Jun 2026 02:32 PM IST As Hajime Moriyasu’s Japan drew 2-2 against the Netherlands in their Group F encounter in Texas, the Asian side have begun their campaign looking like a capable team. Twice behind, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki did his part in the first half, making three saves against Netherlands striker Doniel Malen. The 23-year-old, who has played for Italian club Parma Calcio for the past two years, has also been reported as a potential replacement for 2022 World Cup winner and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez at Aston Villa. Born in Newark, New Jersey to a Ghanaian

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Read 4 minutes15 June 2026 at 12:41 PM IST He was moved to tears when the Japanese national anthem was played before a thrilling 2-2 draw against the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He was communicating with his players with giant numbers written on a white board. He was also writing on his notepad leading to speculation as to whether the latter was actually the legendary “Deathnote” from the famous Japanese manga. The 2026 FIFA World Cup may be just four days away but there is already a list of incidents from the tournament that have gone viral

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Before the start of the World Cup, a video of the Curacao team went viral. In it, the players are arriving in an old-fashioned blue school bus with no windows, the players sticking their arms out and banging on the metal exterior. The video was intended to portray the down-to-earth vibe of the team heading into its first ever World Cup. On Sunday, Curacao was dreaming of his mission, in Houston, America’s space capital. For a while, fans and players dared to dream of upsetting Germany. Never mind that they were playing their first match in the country’s history at

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Read 4 minutesUpdated: June 15, 2026 08:56 AM IST Before the start of the World Cup, a video of the Curacao team went viral. In it, the players are arriving in an old-fashioned blue school bus with no windows, the players sticking their arms out and banging on the metal exterior. The video was intended to portray the down-to-earth vibe of the team heading into its first ever World Cup. “That’s who we are and always will be: infectious enthusiasm, joy, a carefree spirit and fear of no one,” Livano Comenencia told La Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview. On

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Daiichi Kamada knew little about the goal. By the time the ball brushed his forehead and curled beyond Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen in the 88th minute, the Japanese midfielder was surrounded by pockets of teammates, substitutes and supporters who thought they had something bigger than the late equaliser. For more than a decade, Kamada’s career has largely unfolded in Germany, away from following Japanese stars like Takefusa Kubo. He built his reputation at Eintracht Frankfurt, helping the club win the Europa League in 2022 and becoming the first Japanese attacking midfielder to flourish in a major European league as a

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Read 3 minutes14 June 2026 02:47 PM IST With soaring temperatures one of the biggest talking points at the FIFA World Cup in North America, Spain has introduced a new cooling system to help players cope with the demanding conditions during training. According to Spanish daily Marca, members of Luis de la Fuente’s squad, including teenage star Lamine Yamal, have started using specially designed cooling vests as part of preparations for their tournament opener against Cape Verde. The wearable technology, developed by Adidas under its CLIMACOOL SYSTEM, aims to reduce the physical impact of training in hot weather. The vest

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Read 3 minutes14 Jun 2026 04:25 PM IST Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, whose hopes of making history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup were dashed after being denied entry to the United States, will receive the full financial package set for tournament officials despite taking no part in the tournament. FIFA has decided to honor Artan’s payment even though the 34-year-old will not be officiating in any matches after US immigration authorities prevented him from entering the country, according to a BBC report. The match officials are informed of their final salary only after the tournament is over. Artan

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Germany’s players pose for a team photo before an international friendly soccer match against the United States, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) They call him Bambi. Not for delicacy, but for the way he carries the ball in traffic, the particular cleanliness of those movements. Jamal Musiyala He had 40 Germany caps and was touted as the next Lionel Messi before he turned 20. Then on July 5 last year, Gianluigi Donnarumma went for a loose ball and collided with him. Musia fell screaming. He fractured his fibula, dislocated his ankle. Donnarumma held his head

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Luis de la Fuente, in temperament, bears little resemblance to Jose Mourinho. The Spanish head coach has none of the Portuguese’s rodomontado. Such is his commitment to humility that when Deportivo Alaves sacked him after three months in the job, midfielder Carlos Indiano suggested it was partly because de la Fuente was too nice. There was one exception. When the RFEF appointed him as Luis Enrique’s successor following Spain’s round of 16 exit at the 2022 World Cup, the reaction was dubious. Enrique came away with the Champions League title. Julen Lopetegui won the Europa League. De La Fuente had

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Netherlands vs Japan Match Live: The Netherlands will look to avoid defeat against Asian powerhouse Japan when the two teams meet in Arlington late Sunday night. The Dutch will be wary of Japan’s tournament record, with the Asian side beating Germany and Spain in the group stages of the 2022 World Cup. With Virgil van Dijk, Denzel Dumpries, Ryan Gravenburch, Frankie de Jong and Cody Gakpo, the Dutch have big names and will be looking to start their campaign on a positive note. Holland has been to the World Cup final three times, but has always

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